Indigo and white cloths dyed in the Japanese shibori fashion
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Saturday, July 26, 2025 from 10am to 4pm

Artown 2025: Japanese Textiles - Rags to Ritual

An Artown Exhibition and Workshop presented by Facing the Mountain Zen Center
Artown 2025 logo
πŸ“… Date: Saturday, July 26 πŸ•™ Exhibit Hours: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
🧡 Sashiko Zokin Workshop: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
πŸ“ Location: Historic Huffaker School at Bartley Ranch
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About the Exhibit

Free and open to all (donations welcome).
This exhibit explores the rich tradition of Japanese textiles, from humble work cloth to sacred ritual robe. On display will be:
  • Nyoho-e Zen robes β€” hand-sewn Buddhist garments including rakusu and okesa, made in the traditional Nyoho-e style that emphasizes humility, lineage, and meticulous craft.
  • Sashiko embroidery β€” functional and decorative stitching originally used to repair and reinforce clothing, now celebrated as folk art.
  • Boro mottainai β€” patchwork garments and cloths that reflect a spirit of mottainai (regret over waste) and beauty in imperfection.
  • Shibori dyeing β€” resist dyeing techniques, especially with natural indigo, that produce intricate patterns through folding, binding, and twisting fabric.
A piece of sashiko embroidery with intricate patterns.A piece of sashiko embroidery with intricate patterns.A piece of sashiko embroidery with intricate patterns.A piece of sashiko embroidery with intricate patterns.A piece of sashiko embroidery with intricate patterns.A piece of sashiko embroidery with intricate patterns.A piece of sashiko embroidery with intricate patterns.A piece of sashiko embroidery with intricate patterns.A piece of sashiko embroidery with intricate patterns.A piece of sashiko embroidery with intricate patterns.A piece of sashiko embroidery with intricate patterns.
Members of our Zen sangha will serve as docents throughout the day. Priests from Facing the Mountain Zen Center will be available to speak with visitors about the spiritual meaning behind these textiles and to answer questions about Zen meditation and practice in the Soto tradition.

Hands-On Workshop: Sew a Sashiko Zokin

πŸ• Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
πŸ’΅ Cost: $10 materials donation (payable at the event by cash or check)
πŸ‘₯ Ages: Youth under 15 must be accompanied by an adult
πŸ“‹ Capacity: Limited to 12 participants
✏️ Register here
Join us for a relaxed, meditative sewing class where you'll learn to make a zokin, a traditional Japanese cleaning cloth, using simple sashiko stitching. This practice echoes Zen values of care, simplicity, and attentiveness.

Why Zen Robes?

In the Zen Buddhist tradition, sewing is a spiritual practice. The rakusu, a bib-like garment worn by lay practitioners, and the okesa, a full robe worn by monks, are sewn by hand as acts of devotion, humility, and gratitude. The style known as Nyoho-e ("following the Dharma") traces its form and method back to the robes of the Buddha himself, reconstructed through centuries of care and tradition.
Each stitch is made mindfully, one at a time, by hand. A standard rakusu has almost 1,500 stitches and takes between 20-40 hours of sewing. A full okesa has approximately 15,000 stitches and takes up to ten times as long or longer.
A brown okesa robe draped on a mannequin wearing black and white Japanese koromo and kimono.
Okesa example
A zen monk sitting outside on concrete wearing a straw hat and tan colored rakusu.
Rakusu example

About Facing the Mountain Zen Center

We are a Soto Zen Buddhist group based in Reno, Nevada, practicing in the tradition of Dōgen Zenji. Our community offers weekly meditation, retreats, and study opportunities for those interested in the Zen path. Learn more at facingthemountain.org or email us at info@facingthemountain.org
Come for the art. Stay for the stillness.